Vol. CXXXV, No. 11
Several members of university community see “fundamental” shift in role of capital at U of T Alex McKeen
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Bill Nelson started teaching at the University of Toronto when Sidney Smith was not a building, but the university’s president. Nelson went on to become chair of the university government committee in 1969 and held many administrative roles. Now 90 years old and retired, the history professor has observed one particularly significant change at the institution where he centred his career. “Something fundamental has happened to North American universities,” Nelson says, “Forty years ago, major universities were not primarily concerned with servicing the world of business and commerce. The primary concern was educating people.”
While much of the University of Toronto community does not have a perspective spanning 50 years, students, some professors, and experts agree that the institution is becoming increasingly intimate with the free market.
FUNDING AND GOVERNANCE To Nelson, the increasing corporatization of the university marks a widespread change in attitude brought about by the influence of private money. He says that individuals and corporations have exercised increasing influence through monetary means, such as endowments for academic chairs, which injure the pure academic foundation of the institution. “Going back 30 years, academics have been urged to go out and find private money,” Nelson says. “That’s not a way to run a university.”
Nelson also cites factors such as increased tuition that tie students to the so-called “corporate world.” In the Faculty of Law, for instance, tuition is around $30,000 for first-year domestic students — a number that, Nelson argues, forces students to pursue high-paying corporate jobs to pay off their debts. Glen Jones, Ontario research chair on postsecondary education policy and measurement and professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, says that universities are complicated corporations, which have to make difficult budgeting decisions when faced with increasing financial pressures. According to Jones, the university does not have to sacrifice accountability to various constituencies in this process.
CONTINUED ON PG 9
Yes or no: graduate students vote on CFS membership Allegations of student suppression arise ahead of vote Hannah Wilkinson
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
As the Graduate Students’ Union (gsu) at the University of Toronto prepares to hold a referendum on whether or not to remain a member of the Canadian Federation of Students (cfs) and the cfs-Ontario (cfs-o), new information has come to light indicating that certain signatures were deemed invalid during a petition drive a year ago. The landmark vote will take place between Monday, November 24 and Friday, November 28.
24 November, 2014
The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
A referendum can only be achieved once a petition is signed by over 20 per cent of the union’s population. The gsu had submitted their petition to the cfs last winter.
THE ROAD TO REFERENDUM In order to properly verify that all the names provided in the petition were valid, Deloitte, a professional services firm, was appointed by both parties to review the petition. Deloitte informed the gsu last March that their petition did not meet the necessary 20 per cent threshold and that a number of student signatures were deemed invalid.
The report provided by Deloitte raised a number of questions for the gsu. In response, they formed a Litigation Committee in order to properly investigate Deloitte’s conclusions. It was revealed over the course of the legal process that Deloitte was granted the power to make judgements as to what constituted a valid signature. This meant that the firm could apply either “strict” or “liberal” interpretations to what constituted a valid signature.
CONTINUED ON PG 10
INSIDE Comment To post or not to post? Is social media an appropriate forum for public debate?
PG. 12
Features Sounds of the street Meet the musicians of Toronto’s streets and subways
PG. 14
Arts & Culture Prize-winning poetry An interview with U of T master’s student and winner of this years Walrus Poetry Prize, Michael Prior
PG. 18
Science In conversation with Tyrone Hayes UC Berkeley endocrinologist advocates for unbiased research
PG. 21
Sports Previews and reviews A look back and a look ahead at this year’s Varsity Blues teams
PG. 25